Tuesday, November 19, 2013

CAIR-FLSponsors Muslim Veterans Parade MarchThe Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR–FL) organized the Muslims Veterans of America residing in South Florida participation in the November 8 Miami – Dade County Golden Veterans Parade – 50th Anniversary Commemoration.

CAIR-MDPresents Anti-Bullying Workshop at MosqueThe CAIR-MD team presented an anti-bullying workshop to some 125 Sunday School students at Masjid An-Nur in White Marsh, Md. The purpose of the free workshop was to educate students on techniques to prevent and address bullying amongst peers.

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/11/13) - The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), in partnership with the Virginia American Muslim Civic Coalition (VAMCC), today released the results of an exit poll survey indicating that Muslim voters in that state turned out to vote and that the majority of Virginia Muslim voters picked Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe in Tuesday's state election.

The poll, conducted Thursday by an independent interactive voice response survey provider on behalf of CAIR and VAMCC, indicated that 78 percent of registered Virginia Muslim voters turned out to the polls in the off-year election.

CAIR and VAMCC's poll of more than 300 Virginia Muslim voters found with a 5.5 percent margin of error that:

78 percent of registered Muslim voters said they went to the polls on November 5.

68 percent of respondents that voted in the Virginia state election cast their ballots to elect Democrat candidate Terry McAuliffe to Virginia State Governor.

Of those respondents, only 12 percent said they voted for Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli and 4 percent for Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis.

17 percent of respondents declined to say who they voted for Virginia State Governor.

National and state Muslim organizations estimate that Virginia has some 60,000 registered Muslim voters. McAuliffe's win over Cuccinelli was a narrow victory with 54,870 votes between the two candidates.

"Virginia Muslim voters' large turnout in an off-year state election and their support for McAuliffe certainly had a part to play in the newly elected governor's victory," said CAIR Government Affairs Manager Robert McCaw.

Rafi Ahmed, chairman of VAMCC, said: "Virginia Muslim civic organizations played a vital role in the state's election making sure to register Muslim voters and get out the vote. VAMCC also made sure to connect Muslim voters to the candidates running for local and state office. The state's Muslim community was informed and voted for those who will best represented our interests."

The weekend prior to the election, CAIR co-hosted a GOTV phone bank at the Muslim Association of Virginia's Dar Alnoor Islamic Community Center in Manassas, Virginia. More than 50 volunteers urged Muslim and Arab Virginians throughout Prince William County to vote for the candidate of their choice.

Monitoring the 2012 Democratic and Republican national conventions, CAIR estimated that the number of Muslim delegates the DNC was at more than 100, up from 43 Muslim and Arab-American delegates at the 2008 Democratic convention, and 25 at the 2004 convention. At the RNC, a handful of Muslim delegates also attended.

VAMCC is an independent, non-partisan group concerned with domestic issues which directly affect the Virginian Muslim American community's livelihood. Its focus is on issues of civil rights, civil liberties, education, the economy, banking reform, environmental issues, immigration and health care reform..

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.